Cable-cutting tool.



A. 0. TAYLOR. CABLE OUTTING TOOL.

APPLICATION FILED IEB. 7, 1914.

1,125,209, Patented Jan. 19, 1915.

ALPHA 0. TAYLOR, 01? BLUE CREEK, WEST VIRGINIA.

CABLE-CUTTING TOOL.

Application filed February 7, 1914.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, ALPHA Oous TAYLOR, a citizen of the United States, residing at Blue Creek, in the county of Kanawha and State of West Virginia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Cable- Cutting Tools, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to an improved device for cutting a cable which is connected with a string of boring tools at a point near the lower end of the cable so that if the string of boring tools is jammed in the pipe of a well, such as an oil well or water well, the cable may be severed and then removed from the well to permit a fishing tool to be lowered in the well to engage the string of boring tools and-draw the tools out of the well.

The principal object of the invention is to so construct the tool that it may he slidably mounted upon the cable and to provide the tool with a side opening in which the cutting element may be slidably mounted, the side opening being inclined so that when the cutting tool is lowered into the well and then withdrawn, the cutting element will jam and its cutting edge thus forced through the cable.

Another object of the invention is to so construct this cutting device that the cable will be almost entirely out through by the cutting element, the cutting element being then withdrawn from the well with the cutting device after the upper portion of the cable has been removed from the well.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved closure for the opening through which the cutting element is passed into the body portion of the cutting device and thus prevent the side opening of the body portion from becoming filled with dirt as the cutting device is withdrawn from the well.

This invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings wherein Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional view through the cutting device showing the cutting device mounted upon a cable which has been cut by the cutting element; Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the cutting device; Fig. 3 is a bottom plan view of the cutting device; Fig. 4 is a transverse sectional view through the cutting device taken along the line 4-4 of Fig. 1; Fig. 5 is a transverse sectional view taken along the line 55 of Fig. 1;

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 19, 1915.

Serial No. 817,370.

The body portion 10 of this cutting element is mounted upon the cable 11 which carr es the string of boring tools, the cable passlng through a longitudinally-extending opening 12 formed in the body portion. I

This body portion is at all times mounted upon the cable 11, but is normally held above the upper end of the well by any suitable means. If desired, the cutting device may be held in the elevated position by suitable holding means which is engaged upon the threaded end portion 13 of the neck 14:. This neck 14 is provided with flattened faces as shown in Fig. 5 so that a wrench may engage the neck and forms an abutment 15 at the lower end of the threaded ortion 13. A flange or lip 16 extends partlally across the lower end of the opening 12 to form a catch which will engage the cutting element which will be hereinafter described and prevent the cutting element from dropping out of the bottom of the body portion 10 when the cable has been removed from the well. An inclined passage 17 which is provided with side grooves 18 leads from the side face of the body portion 10 and communicates with the opening 12 as shown in Fig. 1 so that when the cutting element is in place and the cutting device is drawn upwardly, the cutting element will jam between the cable 11 and rear wall 19 of the passage 17 and thus be forced through the cable.

The cutting element is provided with a shank 20 which is curved in cross section to conform to the contour of the rear portion of the passage 17 and a cutting blade 21 which leads from the upper end of the shank 20. This cutting blade is of less width than the shank as shown in Figs. 8 and 9 so that when the cutting element is inserted through the side opening 22, the cutting blade will just fit the passage 17 and the side portions of the shank 20 will fit into the side grooves,

18. It is desired to close the side opening 22 after the cutting element has been inserted 1n order to prevent any danger of the cutting element working out while the cutting device is being lowered and to prevent dirt from entering the passage 17 when thecutf ting device is being raised. There has therefore been provided the block 23 which is in serted through the opening :22 and secured in place by means of a screw 2% which passes into the threaded opening 25.

When a string of boring tools is jammed in the bottom of a well, the cutting device is released from its support and after the cutting element has been inserted into the passage l7 and the block 23 put in place, a set of small jars, sinkers, joined iron rods, or small cable is connected with the-threaded neck 13 and the cutting device is then permitted to drop into the well until its lower end engages the upper end of the string of boring tools. The cutting device is then drawn upwardly and when this happens, the cutting edge of the blade 21 will be brought into engagement with the cable 11 and gradually moved to cut through the cable by the inclined wall 19 of the passage 17. After the cutting device has been drawn upwardly to the position shown in F 1, the cable will be almost completely out through. The winding mechanism for the cable 11 can then be brought in operation and the cable will then be easily broken at the cut and withdrawn from the well. The cutting device can now be withdrawn from the well and will carry with it the cutting element. since the blade 21 will engage the lip or flange 16 and thus be prevented from dropping out of the bottom of the passage 17. After the cutting device has been removed, a suitable fishing tool can be lowered into the well to engage the string of boring tools and withdraw them from the well. By this construction the cable can be easily cut and the cutting device can then be removed from the well without any danger of the cutting element dropping down into the well.

It should also be noted that with this construction the cutting element can be easily removed from the body portion so that the cutting edge of the blade 21 can be easily sharpened.

It should be also noted that this device comprises only three parts, and that there fore, there is no danger of the cutting device very easily getting out of order.

It should also be noted that this cutting device will be very strong and durable and will not be liable to break.

What is claimed is:

1. A cutting device comprising a body portion provided with a longitudinally-extending passage and with an inclined passage leading from the side of the body portion and communicating with the lower end portion of said cable passage, a cutting element slidably mounted in the inclined passage of said body portion whereby when said cutting device is drawn upwardly, the cut ting element will be moved toward said cable to cut through a cable extending through the cable passage, and a closure for the upper end of said inclined passage.

A cutting device of the character described comprising a body portion provided with a longitudinally-extending cable passage and with an inclined passage leading from the lower end portion of said cable passage with its upper end passage out through the side of the said body portion, a cutting element slidably mounted in said inclined passage, and a removable closure for the upper end of said inclined passage.

A cutting device of the character described comprising a body portion provided with a longitudinally-extending cable passage and with an inclined passage leading from said cable passage, said inclined passage being provided with side grooves, a cutting element slidably mounted in said inclined passage and provided with side flanges extending into the side grooves of said inclined passage, and a closure for the upper end of said inclined passage.

4. A cutting device of the character de scribed comprising a body portion provided with a longitudinally-extending cable passage and with an inclined passage leading from said cable passage, the side walls of said inclined passage being provided with grooves, a cutting element having its shank extending into the grooves of said inclined passage and having its cutting blade extending through said inclined passage toward said cable passage, and a removable closure for the upper end of said inclined passage.

5. A cutting device of the character described comprising a body portion provided with a longitudinally-extending cable passage and with an inclined passage leading from said cable passage, the lower ends of said passages meeting to form a single opening in the bottom of said body portion, a lip extending partially across the opening formed in the bottom of said body portion, and a cutting element slidably mounted in said inclined passage and having its cutting blade extending toward said cable passage whereby the cutting blade will cut through a cable to permit the removal of the cable and engage said lip to prevent the cutting element from dropping out through the opening formed in the bottom of said body portion.

6. A cutting device of the character described comprising a body portion provided with a longitudinally-extending cable passage and with an inclined passage leading from said cable passage and having its inclined wall curved transversely and extended to form side grooves leading from the sides of said inclined passage, a cutting element slidably mounted in said inclined passage and provided with a blade extending to ward said cable passage and with a shank curved in cross section engaging the rear wall of said inclined passage and extending into said side grooves, and a lip extending partially across said cable opening to engage the blade of said cutting implement.

7. A cutting device of the character described comprising a body portion provided with a longitudinally-extending cable passage and with an inclined passage leading from said cable passage, a lip extending partially across said cable passage, and a cutting implement slidably mounted in said inclined passage and provided with a cutting blade extending toward said cable passage and contacting with said lip when said 15 ALPHA o. TAYLOR.

Witnesses:

B. H. OSBORNE, R. J. TAWNEY.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, I). G. 

